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Double-Embossing Techniques
by Gwynn Asbury
(Dec 31, 2012)
Embossing. Everyone I know that crafts has at least one embossing folder or stencil, a VersaMark pad (or something similar), and embossing powder. These are the tools for two different types of embossing-dry and heat. Both create a raised surface, but with a different appearance. I am going to show you two techniques using both types of embossing to get two very different looks. These techniques, both called double embossing, will help you get even more use out of the embossing folders in addition to your embossing inks and powders. Supplies
The Positive Image Double Emboss - In this technique you heat emboss the raised, dry embossed part of the image.
1. Dry emboss your cardstock as usual. 2. Ink your brayer, making sure to get good even coverage around the whole thing. a. To ink your brayer, roll it through the ink in a one-way motion. b. Lift, and begin at the bottom of the pad again. 3. Take your well-inked brayer and now with the same motion that you used to ink your brayer, ink the raised portion of the cardstock you embossed. 4. You will be able to tell you have gotten good coverage as the raised embossed parts will change slightly in color. 5. Once you have made sure to get good coverage of the cardstock, add embossing powder to the cardstock. 6. Melt the embossing powder with your heat gun.
Negative Image Double Emboss - In this technique, you do the same steps in a different order. This will result in the negative space of your embossed image being embossed.
1. Ink up your brayer with your embossing ink. Again, make sure that your brayer has good coverage. 2. Now ink the side of the embossing folder where the image is sunk into the folder - the negative area. Make sure to get good even coverage. 3. Carefully place your cardstock into your embossing folder that you just inked. Try not to move it as this will smear the embossing area a bit. 4. Run your cardstock and embossing folder through your die cut machine of choice. 5. When you are done with Step 4 and take the cardstock out you will notice that the ink is now in the negative space of the embossed image. 6. Add your embossing powder to the image and remove excess. 7. Heat and melt the embossing powder.
Tips and Tricks Discovered Along the Way While working with this technique I discovered a few things that I wanted to share with you. 1. Using a brayer for both the negative and positive double emboss is ESSENTIAL for good results. I practiced this technique over and over again with a direct pad-to-paper or pad-to-embossing folder technique. THIS DID NOT WORK. The image would be smeared, and I would have embossing powder and ink in places that I did not want it. The results were not clean. - Try the Positive Image Double Emboss using some of the distress embossing powder from Tim Holtz. The Distress Embossing powders are specially formulated so that after you have heat set them, you rub and portions will "flake off." The result is a distressed and grungy effect. Try this with more masculine embossing folders to get a triple effect. - This can be a very messy process, especially when you are first starting out. Make sure to have the area you are working in well covered so that cleaning up stray embossing powder is easier. BONUS TIP: Use a coffee filter to pour your excess embossing powder off your cardstock and back into the jar it came in. You will get much less static stick. 2. When doing the positive image, sometimes you do not get good coverage of the melted embossing powder. This is okay; simply repeat the brayering and embossing steps for the positive image and you will get better coverage. Samples of Things to Do with This Technique For inspiration, I have included some samples of projects I have done using these techniques:
Both of these cards highlight the use of the positive and negative image emboss technique, and you can see the very different feel that each gives. In the card on the right, I used both the positive and negative to create a background as well as a strong focal image. The technique really accentuates the winter theme. In the project below, I used this same technique to create a decorative element in a mini album which I use to collect my creative ideas and just play. As you can see, this technique is also great as an embellishment or for creating tags as well. This is also a piece that needed to be embossed twice in order to get good coverage.
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